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City of Cleveland Chief of Sustainability Matt Gray Resigns

Friday, November 22, 2019

CLEVELAND – The City of Cleveland today announced that Chief of Sustainability, Matt Gray, will step down from his role on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Gray has worked on solutions that created a healthier environment, improved the economy, and advanced equity. Central to this work was collaborating with City departments and community partners, making it easier for Clevelanders to take action in sustainability.

“I want to thank Matt for his service and congratulate him on his future endeavors,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “His leadership and commitment have helped advance our efforts to make Cleveland a more sustainable city.”

During his tenure as Chief of the Office of Sustainability, Gray led the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative, a 10-year program that actively engaged more than 15,000 people from all walks of life to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland. This included advising the City on policies and developing programs related to sustainability, including access to trees and parks, shared mobility, clean energy, green building, and more.

“I’d like to thank Mayor Jackson and the Sustainable Cleveland community for your support, guidance, and partnership over the last eight years,” said Matt Gray. “While there is still much work to do, I’m confident the fantastic team at the Office of Sustainability is in a good position to continue the progress.”

In addition to the Sustainable Cleveland initiative, Gray facilitated Cuyahoga50, a yearlong celebration of 50 years of progress since the infamous Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, while also bringing awareness to present-day water quality challenges. The June 2019 anniversary week celebration resulted in more than 50,000 people attending 25 events and more than 100 positive news stories.

In his role, Gray also convened staff from across all City departments to develop the Sustainable Cleveland Municipal Action Plan and assembled 90 organizations in Northeast Ohio to develop and implement the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, which consists of 28 objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and advance equitable outcomes across the city. To date, the Cleveland Climate Action Fund has supported more than 100 resident-led, neighborhood-based projects throughout Cleveland.

About the City of Cleveland

The City of Cleveland is committed to improving the quality of life of its residents by strengthening neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing diversity and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, play, and do business. For more information on the City of Cleveland, visit online at www.city.cleveland.oh.us, Twitter at @cityofcleveland or Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland.

We are committed to improving the quality of life in the City of Cleveland by strengthening our neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing the diversity of our citizens, and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, raise a family, shop, study, play and grow old.